Q: Is cruising still safe despite some of the recent negative publicity involving the industry?
A: As a result of a relentless focus on safety, cruising remains one of the safest, most affordable and enjoyable vacation experiences today. The industry’s commitment to safety and delivering exceptional holiday value is unwavering and ongoing.
Q: What are the cruise trends for 2014?
A: The industry is looking to attract younger generation travelers, particularly millenials. Cruise lines are also creating more high-energy activities on board, expanding their luxury cruising and onboard upgrades, and are making investments to improve technology and connectivity at sea. Despite the desire by many cruise passengers to “unplug” from work, they do want to stay connected to their social networks, whether that’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Q: What are some of the exciting advancements to the cruise ships?
A: Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, which debuts this fall, includes a new skydiving simulator, and an attraction called the North Star, a jewel-shaped glass capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level. Two Norwegian ships are also featuring New York City’s indoor cycling studio Flywheel Sports. Other cruise lines offer bowling alleys, skating rinks, zip lines, virtual simulators, art studios, ice bars and more.
By the Numbers: the Cruise Industry
21.7 million people are anticipated to cruise in 2014; that’s nearly double the passengers who cruised a dozen years ago.
51.7 percent of all cruise passengers are from the U.S.
37.3 percent of all cruises take passengers to the Caribbean, making it the leading cruise destination in terms of ship deployments.
Facebook Comments